Saving the World One-Handedly
by Nedoko-maki
Summary: Reincarnation he could get behind, despite not being very religious in his past life, but this? What is his life now, but a game? SI/OC, Videogame!OC
1. Chapter 1

**Saving the World One Handedly **

A/N - Hello everyone! It's me, Nedoko-maki! Now please don't beat me up in the comments about **It's All She Needs**. I've had a hectic few months, that may stretch into years it seems. I'm very sorry for the lack of updates there. If I get my motivation up and running, I may post a chapter within a month or two.

Anyway, here is a fanfic inspired by the not-so-original Gamer/videogame trope. I mean, I like it so…

Potentially SI, it's a given that this character is an OC though. Videogame!OC SI/OC

I also want to give credit to DragonKnightRyu, writer of **Ninja Gamer**, for the stats format and some (…most...) ideas on the perks list. His story is awesome, go check it out! (though you probably already have since it's like the first thing that pops up when you google it :P)

A bit of angst at the start; I don't intend to drag this on for very long. Thanks for reading!

_**Obligatory Disclaimer: I own Naruto! Sike no I don't. My OCs are mine though. **_

* * *

The first thought that comes to mind about death is painful. Everyone thinks about that, at some point in their lives, a survival instinct of sorts.

Thinking about the most frightening way one could die, in their perspective of their world. It's intriguing to see, or more like, _feel_, what is beyond those terrifying few moments of panic, confusion, despair, _regret_-

…I was never really one for sentimentality.

It was all about pragmatism; is this useful, in what way will this help me?

How would this benefit me?

In the modern world I had been borne to, this wasn't a bad mindset to have, but it had its downsides. Severe downsides that resulted in me being outcast, locked out from any social life I may have had. Thinking about people like they were tools, _a means to an end_, had left me stranded with absolutely nobody after I had left uni, all alone to venture into the indifferent world.

With no parents, even. One lost at birth, the other abandoning me three years down the line, cracking under the pressure of being a single parent.

Without any guidance, this way of thinking stuck. It worked; I survived. That's all that mattered.

As a result, I could never shake that mindset off, never completely. It would incessantly whisper at the back of my head, _what will this person give me this time? _

_How can I take advantage of this person?_

It was maddening. So, so maddening.

Everyone left me at some point; never once did I see a relationship last more than a few months.

After I realised that, I had already long stopped crying. Crying about the unfairness of it all.

Crying wasn't going to change anything.

Things slowly changed, for the better even.

Then it all ended, exactly five years after. The death was unremarkable; a car crash. Nothing special about it.

Probably the kindest thing life had done for me. The pain was excruciating, but I knew it didn't really matter; it would be all over in a matter minutes, if not seconds. I could feel the chilly coldness seeping into my very core, my senses becoming duller and duller by the second.

People say that your life flashes before your eyes at the moment of death, but I only fixated on the fact that I hadn't made a difference.

That no one would remember me.

That I had failed to find true happiness.

That I had no one to even speak to.

The regrets piled one on top of each other, until I realised, realised that I just hadn't done enough, hadn't used my time properly in this twisted world. Hadn't been pragmatic enough.

I chuckled a hysteric watery laugh, crimson liquid splattering and staining the ground.

How ironic. The only thing I could do was the one thing I wasn't good enough at.

The sirens were so soothing, like a lullaby. Lee-Laa. Lee-Laa.

And then there was that falling sensation, just like that dream I had so many times when I was a child.

Falling, falling, falling.

There wasn't anything left for me here, so why hold on?

…ahh. I'll at least miss the latest issue of that random Isekai manga I've come to like. And the airing of the other one. And all my favourite anime. Seems like I'll miss some things after all.

Well. Maybe I _am_ a bit sentimental.

I reached out with the last vestiges of my strength, clasping onto a thin thread of what was now a distant, ringing echo.

Then, I was gone.

* * *

It felt like an eternity, yet it felt like not even a few minutes had passed as I slept, falling into a state of semi-awareness, just able to tell that time is passing but not enough to be fully cognitive.

A quiet melody roused me from my sleep, a cheery tune with no direction, no end. I opened my eyes.

Actually, it was more like metaphorical eyes as I didn't have a corporeal form.

Like any good or sane person (though I doubted I was), I panicked. Hard.

I floundered for a good few minutes, trying and failing to get my bearings in this blank space. I would've continued if it weren't for the slightly blue tinted floating rectangle in front of me, two golden leaves twirling around the extravagant title of **[NARUTO]**.

🍂** Welcome to NARUTO RPG! **🍂

_Press Enter to Select_

→ _**New Game**_

_**Continue**_

_**Options**_

_**Extras**_

How odd. I instinctively felt like this box was bad news.

Suddenly, I realised that there was a slew of questions that I had unanswered, like _why the - was I here?_ Where is here? What time was it?

Why wasn't I dead?

Am I dead?

…

I sat(?) there for the better part of an hour, trying to make sense of this strange place I was in, and ignoring the ominous box in front of me. But really? Naruto of all things?

Don't get me wrong, I like Naruto like I like my tea (a _lot_), but I'd still rather live in a world without trained professional child killers, or any killers for that matter.

Slumping, I sighed and gave into my curiosity. As any good gamer does, I started by checking the [**Options**] and [**Extras**] options. To select those were another hassle altogether; there were no instructions about how to control this interface (I mean, Press Enter? Really? Where's my damn keyboard?) and after a few more minutes of trial and error I eventually got to the [**Options**] screen through thinking it. _Thinking _it.

I feel like my privacy was just violated, on top of the dumb controls.

* * *

** Options **

**SFX** \- 100% [ = = = = = ]

**Music** \- 100% [ = = = = = ]

**Tutorial **\- [ Off ]

**Gamer Elements** [ Off ]

**Difficulty** \- [ NORMAL ]

** Cancel - Save**

* * *

Allllright. That was close. Had I started the game mindlessly like that, I would've missed out on the tutorial, and if that wasn't bad enough, the _game_ part of this whole bloody thing.

Always a good idea to check the settings; you might miss out on some game changing stuff. Like not having cheat-like powers and dying pathetically because you were pretty much completely inactive in your past life. Good to know.

I quickly toggled the [**Tutorial**] and [**Gamer Elements**] on and tried to change the difficulty. Unfortunately, I only got the message **To unlock other difficulties, you must finish NORMAL mode**.

Aw shucks. Eh, I'll be fine in normal mode; I got cheat powers, what could go wrong? Famous last words

I exited the options screen, not forgetting to save my choices and selected the [**Extras**]. A whole array of 'fun' options appeared, though unfortunately all of them were greyed out.

Pity. I would've liked to have an auto +100 Levels. Appropriately named too; [**Get on My Level!**].

Ooh, is that an _experience multiplier?_ Damn I'm missing out. Well, at the top it does say that some of these unlock through certain actions (reaching level 1000? Are you nuts?) or getting Easter eggs around the Elemental Nations, which appeared to be a golden emblem of the Nations of choice, if not just a golden box.

_Easter Eggs Found_: [0**/200**]

Hm.

Can't even select [**SAVE**] and [**LOAD**]. That's dangerous. No re-dos. Well it seems there isn't anything for me her-

…wait hold up- hold up.

[**Gamer's Body**] is a thing? And [**Gamer's Mind**]? But both are greyed out…damn it I'm being handicapped. People just don't realise how broken the [**Gamer's Body**]-[**Gamer's Mind**] combo is; you could break your body again and again, _with no repercussions_, and have [**Gamer's Mind**] negate the pain to some extent.

The ultimate taijutsu training combo that I don't have access to.

I gritted my teeth. Damn it.

Come to think of it, wasn't there two golden leaves on the title screen? My frustration drained away as I quickly went back and checked. Indeed, there were two _golden_ leaves on the screen.

Clicking the first leaf did nothing, so I tried the second one. Fortunately, I was greeted with a shower of gold sparks that surprised me more than I'd like to admit. The message said, **Congratulations on finding **[**Thinking Outside the Bo-Game**] [1/**200**] **! **

Another one popped up below it, this time saying **This is one of the rarer Easter Eggs as very few people find this, so you are granted the title, **[**A Wise Gamer**]!

[**A Wise Gamer**] – Adds an extra 20% of Wisdom on top of the total Wisdom amount!

Wow. That is handy…maybe? Don't know what Wisdom entails so…

Let's start a new game anyway. A small selections screen appeared, saying;

* * *

**TIMELINE **

→ _**Warring States Era**_

_**First Shinobi War**_

_**Second Shinobi War**_

_**Third Shinobi War**_

_**Pre-Canon**_

_**Canon**_

_**Fourth Shinobi War**_

**YES **/** NO**

* * *

Yeah, let's not get butchered in the Warring States Era, where monsters like Hashirama and Madara reside. I wouldn't really like it either; not many niceties (like _good food_) back then either I don't think. While survival is my first and main concern, not having good food would be equally bad, if not more.

Even if you live, you're not really living.

I figure that if there would be any good place to do anything, it would be before the shit hit the fan, so [**Pre-Canon**] it is.

Clicking on the big YES button caused a chockfull of options to appear, the list going on and on. Intrigued, I scrolled through the numerous options, nearly every one of them piquing my interest.

**PERKS**

_Select 1 Perk based on Location! _

*** – Will be forced upon you **

[**Child Soldier**] If you choose one of the Great Five Nations, you will be enrolled as a child, pushed into learning fast, or dying faster. Unfortunately, due to that, you lack the understanding about anything not to do with war and fighting. (Will not apply if you actually do understand it.) +100% EXP gained in combat. +50% gains for battle-based skills and ninjutsu. -50% EXP gains for non-battle-based skills and -100% EXP gains for non-battle activities.

**Villageless**

**You do not belong to any village, yet you learn the shinobi arts. You don't obey anyone but yourself but be warned; power is justice out in these lawless lands. **

[**The Average Joe**] – As average as a shinobi can be! For every level you get, all your stats go up by +3! ***Be warned, as you will not be able to go beyond Level 50!**

[**Breaking the Mold**] – You don't have any conventional tools to learn the shinobi arts, so you refer to your ingenuity to get the skills you need, you little genius you. Unfortunately, you are all alone at the start and have to fend for yourself. +200% EXP gains to self-taught skills, +100% EXP gains to skills found in scrolls or books, +2 INT per level. **This is equivalent of going on HARD mode. Rewards are high but risks even higher.** ***You are not affiliated with any village, so you are quickly targeted and put in the Bingo Book at the ripe age of 10. **

[**The Efficient Villager**] – You don't pursue a life of killing and deception; instead you get skills that benefit the daily life of a farmer, blacksmith, hunter, etc. 200% EXP gains to non-combat-based skills, 100% EXP gains to domestic skills. ***The game doesn't guarantee your peaceful life.**

**Mizu no Kuni**

**Where people with bloodline limits are discriminated and hunted, regardless if they are a ninja or civilian. Currently in a state of civil war. **

[**Undine**] – You are exceptional with Water Release, even within masters of the element. Some say that you're blessed. You start with [**Water Chakra Affinity**] perk, +150% EXP gains to Water Release. **There is no level cap for Water Release**

[**You Live By Water**] – Water, glorious water! You can literally turn into water, part of the notorious Hozuki clan, whom wield terrifying water techniques and sword skills. Hozuki Kekkei Genkai available, +200% EXP gains to Water Release and +50% EXP gains to Sword based skills. ***You must drink at least twice as much water than the average person to keep up your water-dependent body!** ***You will be hunted extensively by loyalists of the Mizukage.**

[**Below** **Zero**] – You are a member of the Yuki clan, hunted by some, highly coveted by others. Hey, at least you can make pretty sculptures! Ice Release available for use. +100% EXP gain for Ice Release, +50% EXP gain for Water and Wind Release. ***You will be hunted extensively by loyalists of the Mizukage.**

[**Scalding!**] – You have the Boil Release, and anyone who knows that will be nervous of going into the bath with you. Boil Release available for use. +100% EXP gains for Boil Release, +50% EXP gains for Water and Fire Release. ***You will be hunted extensively by loyalists of the Mizukage.**

[**A Bone to Pick**]– The boundaries are endless with your body, bones growing from any and every part of your skeleton! No? You're not very humerus. Dead Bone Pulse Kekkei Genkai available for use, +25% EXP gains for combat-related skills, +50% EXP gained in combat, -50% EXP gained outside of combat, -25% EXP gained non-battle-based skills. ***You will be hunted extensively by loyalists of the Mizukage.**

[**Sharp and Pointy!**] – You've had a fascination with sharp and pointy objects all your life, and now you wield them with a fanaticism unlike any other before. May or may not help with…nightly activities. +250% EXP gains to Sword based skills.

[**A Killer Personality**] – Your village has been called 'The Bloody Mist' with good reason for their reputation in the past of quite the violent graduation from the Academy. You do whatever it takes to survive; killing is in your nature. +100% EXP gained to [**The Silent Killing**] and [**Hidden Mist Jutsu**], -50% gains to all reputation gains. ***People get a bit skittish around you!**

It seemed like there were some worthwhile options mixed into the bunch, one even caught my eye, and a whole lot of Kekkei Genkai floating around too. [**Sharp and Pointy**] got a raised eyebrow from me, but that's about it. There were a few minor villages that were slid in, but none of them really had any appealing options for me, so I just carried on reading through the obtuse list. I would return to the one that had me interested to compare after I had read everything.

**Kaminari no Kuni**

**One of the more militarised of the Great Five Nations, be prepared for landslides, avalanches and the occasional rapping Jinchuriki. You have been warned. **

[**Thunderstruck**] – At a young age a lightning bolt literally struck you, infusing your very being with crackling electricity. You wield this with a crackly passion. You start with [**Lightning Chakra Affinity**] perk, +150% EXP gains to Lightning Release. **There is no level cap for Lightning Release**

[**There Be a Storm Approaching**] – You were exclusively selected from the Academy since you were able to learn the mysterious Storm Release from the Raikage himself; lucky you! Storm Release available, +100% EXP gains for Storm Release, +50% EXP gains to Lightning and Water Release.

[**You Didn't See that Coming**] – Running faster than the plain eye can even move, your clan has been nomadic, moving place to place in flash before settling at Kumogakure. Also, some people think it's a good idea to taunt the person who can slap them 5 times upside their head without them even noticing. Swift Release available, +100% EXP gains for Swift Release, +4 VIT per level. ***People will likely taunt you…for some reason.**

[**The Sage's Tools**] – For your dedication to the cause of Kumogakure, you have been selected to learn how to use the artifacts of the Sage of Six Paths, but you will encounter many who envy and desire your spot and possessions… Access to the Sage of Six Paths' Tools. ***There be nary a moment where someone or something isn't trying to off you to get their hands on your goods. -25% LUK**

[**Zip Zappity Zoop!**] – The Sandaime Raikage became famous through this technique, so why don't you? He became untouchable, invincible even while he still had a sliver of chakra remaining in him. You will go under intensive training, [**Lightning Armor Technique Lvl.1**] and [**Lightning Spear Technique Lvl.1**] available, +50% EXP gains to Lightning Release. ***Failure will not be tolerated. **

Hmm…even more tempting options like the [**You Didn't See that Coming**] perk; I would be long gone before anyone noticed, and could react quickly to life threatening situations…

And the elemental options of each village! No level cap for chakra affinities means infinite potential…though the level up time would take ages once I've reached a certain level. Options…options.

But Kumogakure though. Alright food, but boring place…especially in terms of landscape. Just…mountains, I'll admit it, better than Iwa, but by not much.

To be honest, I've been avoiding it for a bit, but I know that the most ideal place to live would be in Fire Country, or somewhere thereabouts. Trees, trees, everywhere. Maybe I'd like to settle down around Uzushio. That'd be nice.

Alright, first aim; go to Uzu.

…okay maybe second aim; first, become strong so that I won't get kidnapped. Don't know where I'll be dropped off at, maybe even smack dab in Kaze no Kuni.

**K****aze no Kuni**

**Plains that stretch beyond the horizon, filled with dunes upon dunes of t****he finest sand. Welcome to Kaze no Kuni, where those damn little gritty particles will never leave the bottom of your shoes.**

[**Sylph**] – You are exceptional with Wind Release, even within masters of the element. Some say that you're blessed. You start with [**Wind Chakra Affinity**] perk, +150% EXP gains to Wind Release. **There is no level cap for Wind Release**

[**Plasma isn't Impossible!**] You wield the fearsome Scorch Release, burning anything in your way into a crisp! As a result of your Kekkei Genkai, you aren't affected at all by extreme heat! Scorch Release available, +100% EXP gains to Scorch Release, +50% EXP gain for Fire and Wind Release. ***You are highly susceptible to cold temperatures, to the point of fatality. **

[**Is it Love?**] – You can attract people with just a thought…while they are yanked towards you with your iron particles. People will pay attention to you in Sunagakure, as the Sandaime became famous for his Magnet Release. Magnet Release available, +100% EXP gains to Magnet Release, +50% EXP gains to Earth and Wind Release, +3 DEX per level. ***People will pay attention to your career especially.**

[**These Are Toys that Kill**] – Puppets are a traditional and well-admired art in Sunagakure, although some people are likely to tease you lightly about it. [**Chakra Strings Technique Lvl.10**] available, [**Puppet Technique Lvl.10**] available, +50% EXP gain to [**Chakra Strings Technique**], +50% EXP gain to [**Puppet Technique]**. ***People will taunt you for using dolls. Prove them wrong. **

Unstable jinchuriki, one word; nope.

And even disregarding that, I'm the worst kind of friend; me trying to befriend Gaara is up there with watching paint dry or trying to punch a hole through iron. Possible (especially the iron wall thing, _chakra!_), but I'm just not the right person for that.

**Tsuchi no Kuni**

**Home to rocks…rocks…and more rocks. Aren't you excited yet? The one place where if you fall you are guaranteed to get a concussion! **

[**Gnome**] – You are exceptional with Earth Release, even within masters of the element. Some say that you're blessed. You start with [**Earth Chakra Affinity**] perk, +150% EXP gains to Earth Release. **There is no level cap for Earth Release**

[**Art is a Blast!**] – Who said that explosions aren't cool? Not us! Don't you feel that little kid inside of you squeal with joy when something blows up? We do! Explosion Release available, +100% EXP gains to Explosion Release, +50% EXP gains to Lightning and Earth Release. -35% EXP gains to all reputation gains. ***People feel a little freaked out by the two mouths on your hands! **

[**Hard as Rock**] – Dwayne Johnson has nothing on you! Your body is literally as hard as rock, though your body's senses are dulled as a result. Stone Body Release available, +100% EXP gains to Stone Body Release, +50% EXP gains to Earth Release, +3 STR and VIT per level.

[**Mole in the Hole**] – The earth speaks to you, and you prefer the comfortable underground more than the chilly and exposed surface above. Your obsession causes your eyes to not develop properly and you are blind, though you can feel where things are using your other senses. [**Hiding like a Mole Technique Lvl.10**] available, +50% damage to Earth Release Techniques.

[**Atomic Bombs…May be Real…**] – Surprise surprise! You got the Sandaime Tsuchikage's Kekkei Tōta, and with that the Tsuchikage's attention. You tread a fine line, sir. On the bright side, you can figure out whether or not the 'atomic' in the technique's name has any merit! Dust Release available, +100% EXP gains to Dust Release, +50% EXP gains to Earth, Wind and Fire Release, +25 Chakra, +2 INT and WIS per level.

[**It's Just a Bad Habit!**] – Oh, lookie here, what a pretty penny…oh no, he must've dropped this fine leather wallet! What a shame… You naturally gravitate towards unsuspecting people's wallets, and other…shiny possessions. +250% EXP gains to [**Pick Pocketing**] and [**Sleight of Hand Technique**]. ***People blame you for their lost things, even if it wasn't you who…borrowed it.**

Aaaaannd no. Man does Iwagakure have some weird body mutations. [**Atomic Bombs…May be Real…**] looks kinda cool but I have to say, getting the attention of one of the Kage? Surefire way to get a fat exclusive bounty if I ever go missing-nin.

Not ideal.

**Hi no Kuni**

**Where there be trees…trees…and more trees! Hm…this seems oddly familiar. Don't break any Hashirama trees though; every Konoha ninja will be after your sorry ass if you do! (**Praise be the Log for I haveth sinned. To forgive thyself is to aid the Log when 'tis in need. -Verse 5.2 of the 12 Amendments of the Log**)**

[**Ctrl C + V**] – The Uchiha Clan, notorious for their powerful eyes and outstanding battle prowess, and one of the founding clans of Konoha. Be warned, as all Uchiha can fall under the feared Curse of Hatred. Sharingan Kekkei Genkai available, 100% EXP gains to Sharingan. Able to copy and replicate any Jutsu (apart from Kekkei Genkai related techniques), starting level of mastery depends on the Sharingan's level. +50% EXP to non-bloodline Jutsu, +50 Chakra, +1 DEX and WIS per level. ***If any of your loved ones fall in battle, you will fall under the Curse of Hatred. **

[**The Perverted Eye**] – You can't convince me that the Hyūga haven't used their eyes just once to peek on someone. They're so desensitised that they don't react outwardly anymore! Beware the perverted eyes… Allows for 359 degrees of vision in a sphere, of which size depends on the level of the Byakugan. Byakugan available, +100% EXP gains to Byakugan, +2 DEX and INT per level. ***Women will always have a small amount of distrust and suspicion you are peeping on them.**

[**Man's Best Friend**] – Dogs are love, dogs are life, literally! You are a member of the Inuzuka clan and get a ninken partner for life. Inuzuka techniques available, +50% EXP gain to Inuzuka techniques, +1 STR and DEX per level. ***You will act more animalistic and have dog-like senses. Anywa-Squirrel!**

[**Mindwalker**] – Not to be confused with Skywalker, but they do just as cool stuff! Just inside people's heads, you know? Yamanaka techniques available, +50% EXP gain to Yamanaka techniques, +1 DEX and INT per level.** *Certain techniques will leave your body incapacitated!**

[**Might as Well be a Koala**] – A very smart one at that. One smart enough to take you on in a chess battle half asleep and come victorious 99% of the time. The other 1% is when they're too tired to move the winning piece. Member of the Nara clan, Nara techniques available, +50% EXP gain to Nara techniques, +20 INT on creation, +3 INT per level. -2 STR and VIT per level if not regularly training.

[**Just Big Boned**] – One of the most huggable clans out there, just don't mention the 'f' word around them. They are only slightly on the chubby side. Member of the Akimichi clan, +50% EXP gain to Akimichi techniques, +3 STR and +1 VIT per level.

[**Uzushio's Legacy**] – Despite being scattered into more pieces imaginable, some of the Uzumakis still made it to Konoha, eventually leading to a small family that still carries the Uzumaki's famed fūinjutsu, along with the legendary ramen recipes. Teuchi had learned from the best after all. +100% EXP gain to Fūinjutsu, +100 Chakra, +3 VIT per level. ***Some people still pay attention to some of the last descendants of what was once a great nation.**

[**Clanless**] – You have no clan to help or back you up, you'll have to work hard to keep up with your clan friends. You do have a surplus of funds due to being the heir of a wealthy merchant though, so you can use that to aid you in your path to greatness. +1,000,000 ryo on creation.

It is damn tempting. I'm not going to try and deny it; these options really called my name. It was a tough choice, and the Sharingan is a very nice topping on the cake, as I probably wouldn't have any 'loved ones.' As if. The Sharingan was helpful in the sense that I could pretty much learn any jutsu I desired after seeing it once, though I'd need to get a 'loved one' to unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan…well. That deteriorates the vision of the eyes so I'd rather not anyway.

Apparently very few were bestowed the Mangekyō Sharingan anyway, so that means that there would be little chance of getting the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, if the game followed any semblance of normality in this world.

I analysed all the pros and cons of joining any of these clans against my freedom.

In the end, were they worth it?

…I wanted to live how I wanted. Bound to nobody, travelling the world for good food. Is too much to ask for?

It doesn't matter; I'll make it happen.

Even in my previous life I tried to not regret my choice, littered with mistakes they may've been, I still try not to regret them.

So, I scrolled all the way back up and selected [**Breaking the Mold**].

[**Breaking the Mold**] – You don't have any conventional tools to learn the shinobi arts, so you refer to your ingenuity to get the skills you need, you little genius you. Unfortunately, you are all alone at the start and have to fend for yourself. +200% EXP gain to self-taught skills, +100% EXP gain to skills found in scrolls or books, +3 INT per level. **This is equivalent of going on HARD mode. Rewards are high but risks even higher** ***You are not affiliated with any village, so you are quickly targeted and put in the Bingo Book at the ripe age of 10. **

The reaction from the game was slightly different this time. A separate box appeared above the rest, dyed in a dangerous crimson red.

* * *

**NORMAL - HARD**

**Are you sure? **

**Y / N**

* * *

There were no bells or whistles on this option box. Just the white-coloured words 'Are you sure?', and the letters Y and N.

Inhaling a deep breath, I clicked **Y**.

The accompanying cheerful _ding!_ didn't reflect my mood in the slightest.

**Congrats on choosing **[**Breaking the Mold**]**! **I twitched. **Your location will be randomly chosen. You have three perk points to choose from the following choices, be cautious as some of these choices may be temporary; you don't get points back!**

[ ] – [**No Jutsu**] – Your chakra coils are stunted so much so that you cannot use genjutsu or ninjutsu. You can only follow one path to mastery. +100% EXP gain to Taijutsu skills. ***Nigh-impossible to use anything other than taijutsu.**

[ ] – [**Is it Real?**] – Genjutsu comes naturally to you, with an extensive imagination and reflexes. Reality itself bends to your will, if necessary. +50% EXP gain to Genjutsu skills, +50% EXP Chakra Control Exercises.

[ ] – [**Chakra** **Monster**] – You have more chakra than your whole class combined and more! This means your ninjutsu can be overloaded to devastating levels, but as a result your chakra control suffers greatly. +300% Chakra, +100% Ninjutsu damage, -50% EXP gain to Chakra Control Exercises, -95% Genjutsu Integrity.

[ ] – [**Playing with Fire!**] – Don't burn yourself with it! Start with [**Natural Fire Affinity**], +50% EXP gain to Fire Release.

[ ] – [**Swimmingly**] – It always felt right to be in the water, whether it was at birth or at 70. Start with [**Natural Water Affinity**], +50% EXP gain to Water Release.

[ ] – [**With a Huff and a Puff**] – Maybe the wolf will blow the house down this time. Start with [**Natural Wind Affinity**], +50% EXP gain to Wind Release.

[ ] – [**Down to Earth**] – Nice solid guy, though unfortunately he can't breathe earth. Just like all the other people who've tried. Start with [**Natural Earth Affinity**], +50% EXP gain to Earth Release.

[ ] – [**How Shocking!**] – For some reason your hair is always messy, along with the remains of anyone who stands in the way of your powerful lighting techniques. Start with [**Natural Lightning Affinity**], +50% EXP gain to Lightning Release.

[ ] – [**Medic-nin**] – "You don't FUCK with the white mage" – words of wisdom. You make doubly sure your allies live and your enemies stay very dead. +100% EXP gain to Iryōjutsu skills. ***Enemies will normally target you first.**

[ ] – [**Who now?**] – Your face has never been the most memorable in a crowd, always blending into the many others. +50% EXP gain to [**Stealth**].

[ ] – [**You're a Natural, Harry!**] – No magic, unfortunately. Who needs magic in a world full of chakra? You are inclined to stay in places of tranquillity and peace, as you know Mother Nature's watching your back. You start with the [**Natural Senjutsu**] perk. ***You have trouble living in 'civilised' areas. **

[ ] – [**Swip-Swappity-Swoop**] – You prioritise getting out of hairy and sticky situations. Both just in case! +100% EXP gain to [**Kawarimi**].

[ ] – [**Flicker**] – One way to supercharge your muscles with chakra is the Shunshin, able to almost teleport from place to place. You, who prioritises speed over anything else, loves to use this with a passion. +100% EXP gain to [**Shunshin**].

[**The Ultimate Disguise**] – Your Henge goes far beyond the normal, changing your body shape even to match your appearance. You unfortunately can't change into a slug, nor become a whale as the physiology of the target must be approximately the same as your body. Start with [**Henge Lvl.1**] and [**Super Henge Lvl.1**], +50% EXP gain to [**Henge**] and [**Super Henge**].

[ ] – [**I Pledge to Thee**] – The way of the sword, a very useful way to fight without using any chakra. +50% EXP gain to Kenjutsu skills.

[ ] – [**Sharp as Sharp Can Be**] – You have a fascination with sharp objects, and throwing things like kunai and shuriken have always felt natural to you. +50% EXP gain to Throwing Projectiles skills. ***It always seems like you're the first one to run out of ammo. You restock nearly twice as more often than anyone else.**

[ ] – [**Prankster**] – You can't help but get revenge for the pettiest of things, and pay them back tenfold! The prank recipients on the other hand don't really appreciate the glittery paint that magically appears on their clothes. +50% EXP gains to [**Trapping**] and [**Stealth**]. ***You will lose reputation with whoever you prank.**

[ ] – [**Pervert**] – Avid reader of the Icha Icha series, and not afraid to show it! +25% EXP gains to [**Stealth**] when peeking on your sexual orientation but will take a loss to your rep when caught.

[X] – [**Super Pervert**] – Locked unless [**Pervert**] is chosen.

[ ] – [**Sealmaster**] – You path is long and dangerous to discover the language of the gods. It's well worth learning as nobody fucks around with a sealmaster that has made the art his own. +100% EXP gain to Fūinjutsu skills.

I muttered incomprehensibly as I selected, deselected and re-evaluated every option (apart from [**Pervert**], what did you think I was, insane?) and came out with these 3; [**You're a Natural Harry!**], [**The Ultimate Disguise**] and [**Sealmaster**]. It seemed to be the most effective combo to stay hidden; [**Who now?**] was useful but wasn't as versatile as [**The Ultimate Disguise**], as I could pretty much turn into anyone and anything, including hard-to-remember people!

Rubbing my eyes, I yawned. Hard stuff, this. So many choices.

**Thank you for completing Character Creation! Please wait for the reincarnation process **_**(random appearance selected) **_**to finish and have fun!**

"Pardon?" That's it, no customisation of my appearance at all?

Suddenly there was a feeling of something tugging at my navel, pulling me deeper into wherever I was. Panicking slightly, I hoped that this wasn't some repeat from not too long ago; I really wouldn't like that to happen.

When I blinked again, I was looking up at an unfamiliar green canopy, quiet chirping of the birds and crickets surrounding me. I sat up and took in my surroundings. Wow. They weren't kidding when they said I was going to start alone. It was just some torn clothes and that was it.

* * *

**The Forest**

**+50% EXP gains to all skills while in this zone.**

**[x-x-x]**

**_"Nature is watching your back."_**

* * *

**Complete! Starting the **[**Basic Tutorial**]** … To open your status page, vocalise the words 'Status.'**

"Status…?" I tentatively obliged, head tilted as if I didn't believe anything would happen. Which I didn't. But nevertheless, a lilac tinted box appeared, and the world slowed to a halt around me. The colour drained right out of every leaf and branch, leaving only swathes of grey, with the occasional black and white highlight down the towering trees I sat below.

**This is the Status Screen, where you can view your current status, but be aware as time doesn't stop even if you have this active. ****To select anything is the same as thinking it, like before. **

◀ **+100EXP for opening your Status Screen for the first time! **

Mhmm…not the most convenient system, but I'll take it.

**Name**: ?  
**Level**: 1  
**EXP**: 100/1000  
**Age**: 4  
**Rank**: Civilian  
**HP**:43/100  
**CP**: 102/102  
**DEX**: 7  
**INT**: 12  
**WIS**: 8 (10)  
**STR**: 10  
**VIT**: 9  
**LUK**: 6

**SKILLS**

[**Henge**] (Active): **Lvl.1 [00.00%]**

One of the most fundamental skills a shinobi must have. Sneaky sneaky, don't let yourself be caught! 10CP/s

[**Super Henge**] (Active): **Lvl.1 [00.00%]**

The advanced version of [**Henge**], able to even change the shape of the body to fit your needs! It, however, cannot change the shape of body into something too different from the original body; you may be able to change into a cat, but you cannot change into a fish. 250CP/human transformation, 500CP/animal transformation

**STARTING PERKS**

[**Breaking the Mold**] – You don't have any conventional tools to learn the shinobi arts, so you refer to your ingenuity to get the skills you need, you little genius you. Unfortunately, you are all alone at the start and have to fend for yourself. +200% EXP gain to self-taught skills, +100% EXP gain to skills found in scrolls or books, +3 INT per level. **This is equivalent of going on HARD mode. Rewards are high but risks even higher** ***You are not affiliated with any village, so you are quickly targeted and put in the Bingo Book at the ripe age of 10. **

[**You're a Natural, Harry!**] – No magic, unfortunately. Who needs magic in a world full of chakra? You are inclined to stay in places of tranquillity and peace, as you know Mother Nature's watching your back. You start with the [**Natural Senjutsu**] perk. ***You have trouble living in 'civilised' areas. **

[**The Ultimate Disguise**] – Your Henge goes beyond the normal, changing your body shape even to match your appearance. You unfortunately can't change into a slug, nor become a whale as the physiology of the target must be approximately the same as your body. Start with [**Henge Lvl.1**] and [**Super Henge Lvl.1**], +50% EXP gain to [**Henge**] and [**Super Henge**].

[**Sealmaster**] – You path is long and dangerous to discover the language of the gods. It's well worth learning as nobody fucks around with a sealmaster that has made the art his own. +100% EXP gain to Fūinjutsu skills.

**TITLES**

[**A Wise Gamer**] – Adds an extra 20% of Wisdom on top of the total Wisdom amount.

How odd. I have no name? Also, I have absolutely no idea what each of these variables actually mean, beyond the common sense, "Oh, strength is obviously _strength. _No idea what that meant _whatsoever._"

Apparently my 6 LUK, my lowest stat, was still enough for the system to throw me a bone as the **HELP **screen abruptly popped up.

**HELP**

**This is a basic overview of the Status Screen, with details on all the aspects of each section. Refer back to this if you are confused about something.**

**Level - **Your current level of strength, the more you learn, the higher of a level you gain, with each level you get 5 Stat Points to allocate and a bonus according to any related perks!  
**EXP – **Experience, gained through every action you take. Perks can boost or reduce the amount of EXP earned, which culminates in a Level Up.  
**Age - **Fairly self-explanatory, how old you are, you age can affect how people act and behave towards you!  
Title - Titles are gained through your actions and behaviour, be careful through, as not all titles have a positive effect on you.  
**HP - **Hit Points, your health, this hits zero and you are DEAD, just so you know, there are NO retries or loading up saved games, so you better not hit zero!  
**CP - **Chakra Points, a lot of your actions require chakra, and if you hit zero and try to use more, not only will you gain the debuff [Chakra Exhaustion], but the power will come from your HP instead, so use it _very _carefully.  
**STR - **How hard you punch people! Critical for Taijutsu and weapon wielder builds as well as your standard Carry Weight capacity!**  
INT - **How smart are you? Intelligence will affect how easily you can memorize things and figure out the complex math and sciences.  
**DEX - **Your dexterity, how well can you aim and coordinate your body, if this is low, you are more likely to trip, hurt yourself with thrown kunai and shuriken and cut your allies with your sword!  
**VIT - **Vitality, how healthy are you? This will help with shaking off poisons and debilitating effects like concussions and illness.  
**WIS - **How well you can make a decision, being smart is one thing, being wise is completely different ballpark. If this remains low, you may very well end up accidentally defecting from your village due to a string of poor decisions!  
**LUK - **Lucky lucky! Has a hand in many different things, a little luck can go a long way, but sometimes, Lady Luck isn't around, so be cautious! This stat cannot be raised by normal means**.**

Thank you, Lady Luck. Can't do anything without a healthy dose of fortune, after all.

I stretched and took a good look at myself. My height was probably the norm for four-year olds like me, not that I would know because I didn't have a frame of reference at all. It looked lean, not all muscle was devoid of fat, to my disappointment. Still, lean enough to run like the wind.

Moving on, I yanked out a few hairs for inspection to see what colour my hair was…which turned out to be the darkest coloured hair I've ever seen, just pitch black, even under the bright light.

◀ **You have lost 1HP! **

My eye twitched. I would die if I pulled out 90 hairs from my body. Go figure, game logic is total bullcrap.

Giving my stats a last onceover before checking my body's state, I frowned when I realised that my HP was down to 43. How the heck did I lose more than half of my HP?

Apparently, Lady Luck wasn't done with me just yet, as I started to hear distant shouts coming from my 12.

[**Mandatory Quest!**]

_People are shouting and yelling at the top of their voice. It seems like you are wanted, and not in a good way. _

_**OBJECTIVE**_

_Don't get captured by the slave traders!_

_**REWARD**_

_+1000EXP, 1 Week of Supplies, your Name_

_**FAILURE**_

_Possibility of death, Lifetime Imprisonment_

My eyes widened at the urgently flashing box.

Oh. That wasn't good. I stood up, losing a precious few seconds as the blood rushed to my feet, temporarily making me very dizzy. Steadying myself, I ran in the exact opposite direction of the sounds that disturbed the forest around me.

"_You hear that? Come o-_"

"_I heard something, Nobu! The little bugger must be somewhere-_"

"_Shut up Kaito, that's just your heavy footstep-_"

I panted as the panic set in even deeper, and after having run more than five minutes straight my child body was slowly giving out.

◀ **You have gained +1 VIT for your training!**

A stifled choke that was supposed to be a hysterical laugh made its way out of my mouth. What kind of messed up training is this?

A second message popped up in front of the first, in a viridian green tint.

◀ **You have discovered the skill **[**Running**]**!**

[**Running**]: (Passive): **Lvl.1 **[3.21%]

Increases movement speed by 1% for every level there is of the skill [**Running**]. Currently 1% faster.

There was nothing inherently surprising about me gaining this skill, I had sort of expected this to happen sooner or later, what's surprising was the list of messages that poured down my peripheral vision as I kept on dashing, that last VIT point really coming in handy.

◀ [**Running**] **has gained a level! **

◀ [**Running**] **has gained a level! **

◀ [**Running**] **has gained a level! **

◀ [**Running**] **has gain…**

…

By the time it had subsided, [**Running**] sat at a happy Lvl.14, meaning that I moved 14% faster than normal. All praise The Forest and 200% EXP gain to self-taught skills! A manic grin spread across my face, as I ducked and weaved through the musky undergrowth.

No way was I gonna stop!

And by sheer coincidence or bad luck, I would never know, for this is where everything went downhill.

* * *

A/N: so…how was that? Did anyone get the reference from [**You Didn't See that Coming**]? Avengers AoU? No? Probably will stay inactive until I have a stroke of inspiration for this story, though I'll probably develop this guy's stats to a point where he can take a direction some point in the next week.

Pls don't beat me up, cya next time!

EDIT 13/11/2019: Fixed [**Mindwalker**] to actually say something, haha. There are a few other formatting edits, but that's it!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N - Hello everyone, I'm alive, though that could be debatable at best (haha insert self-deprecating joke here)! Unfortunately, I faced a serious writer's block in the direction I wanted to take in this story, and wrote three pretty long drafts of this chapter, two of which didn't really go anywhere I could work with. (kinda blocked me from writing anything else)

I decided to go to the sealing route a bit earlier than planned, but what can you do with life :P. Anyway, thank you for reading!

_**Obligatory Disclaimer: I own Naruto! Sike no I don't. My OCs are mine though. **_

* * *

**Confinement**

**-75% CP and HP gains while in this zone.**

"_**You are alone here."**_

* * *

Sealing was such a strange, esoteric practice, yet touched with a sense of beauty you only found in art.

That was what came to mind as my eyes gazed at the faded black lines in wonder. The purpose of said art piece had been twisted into something else entirely over time, but the passion of the sealer was clear in each stroke.

I was somewhat of an art hobbyist in my past life. You just get these feelings from certain paintings, sculptures and such when looked at face value, and things you realise and unravel the deeper you look into the meaning of each stroke of the brush, each indent of the chisel.

If you were wondering what I was doing, then you would see that I was positively drooling over a set of admittedly gorgeous array of black brushstrokes on a pair of wooden cuffs.

And yes, I was currently in captivity at an unknown time and an unknown location. I'd gotten a bit ahead of myself and had gotten caught in a matter of minutes, now held by people who wanted to do all sorts of unsavoury things to me, undoubtedly.

Greed was ever-present, wherever you went, it seemed.

Anyhow, I was left to wait for my apparent verdict in a rather dingy wooden cell that had the bare minimum for a 'short' stay; toilet, hard stone bed, and the company of just your echoing thoughts.

Joy.

Having nothing better to do in the meantime, I idly wondered what system sealing was based on, like if it was an all-powerful computer terminal, an ode written in a god's words, or just puzzle pieces like Lego that you'd mix and match to build the ultimate creation.

Reality bending seals…that would be so cool.

_(Every half-decent sealmaster across the Elemental Nations sneezed and rubbed their arms, wondering why they felt like someone had crawled over their grave.)_

◀ **Sealing check fail 1/100**

Worth a shot.

The seal painted onto the cuffs wasn't that complicated, I reckoned, as my eyes raked over each part of the intricately painted array. I decided to call the seal one-tiered, as it only spanned one layer on the 2D plane that was my cuffs. Something like the combination of the Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal) and the Gogyō Fūin (Five Elements Seal) that were both once placed over Naruto's seal would be considered two-tiered, even if it was to the detriment of Naruto's chakra control. It still served Orochimaru's purpose after all.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I guess.

Beyond that, it had three 'properties' on that one tier, arranged in a triangular formation and connected by mysterious lines that I didn't grasp at all, though it seemed more shape-oriented than anything else. There was one kanji I couldn't for the life of me understand as my kanji knowledge was limited to somewhat of an early highschool student's vocabulary. My pride took a rather big blow as I had spent years of studying Japanese, and not understanding this annoyed me to no end as I pored over the odd symbol.

The other two though, however, were rather easy to understand, being the kanji for 'restrict' or 'bind', and the second one being 'to dispel'.

It took me a good minute more than I'd like to admit, to realise that the mysterious kanji was one that didn't actually exist in Modern Japanese. Rather, it was more a hunch than anything, as I suspected that the symbol meant 'chakra', being the only plausible thing that cuffs would restrict that existed in the Narutoverse.

Oh, fun tip for whoever is learning Japanese; a kanji's meaning can be guessed from the radicals that make it up. *

◀ **You have gained +1 INT for your thoughts!**

Paranoid, weren't they? The extra intelligence point was nice though.

I gave a cursory glance around the cell, searching for anything remotely pencil shaped I could use to inscribe with. Yes, I did realise it was probably suicidal to try to make _anything _seal related without any sort of formal training, but really, what other choice did I have?

A contradictory, conspiratorial decision I had made earlier, which was to choose the harder life over one that may have been easier in many ways was because I believed that my new life wouldn't be without strife, and either way it'd be better to be prepared more than being prepared less and getting punted into the afterlife early. Perhaps even literally.

I'll admit I'm not the best at making life-changing decisions, but in that moment, I felt like that was the option that would pay off the most afterwards.

Risk and reward; nothing given nothing gained.

I gave my restraints a cautionary smack against the cool stone floor, but to no avail. The wood was rather durable for something rather thin in size.

Pursing my lips, I tried to scrape the stone with my cuffs, but that only served to frustrate me even more as not one fleck of wood was produced from my efforts. I huffed and lay down onto the uncomfortable surface that was dubbed 'my bed,' and let myself fall into a dreamless sleep.

Conservation of energy was my primary goal if I was to escape.

[**Mandatory Quest!**] – _**The Lost**_

_The story doesn't end here now, does it? Break out of the prison, be it strength or seals, anything to regain your freedom!_

_**OBJECTIVES**_

_Find a tool or means of escape_

_Escape the prison_

_Find a safe place_

_**REWARD**_

_+1500EXP, 2 Week of Supplies_

_**FAILURE**_

_Possibility of death_

A familiar red box, yet again without a NO option.

Hm. Well, I'll just deal with this when I wake up again; too tired…to…do much…

…

..

.

* * *

"_Oi maggot, get up!"_

The near-infantile boy was rather rudely woken up by a passing guard, who resumed his snickers at the dishevelled appearance of the child.

The boy rose up from his hard bed, blinking blearily while rubbing his eyes.

The guard started a tirade of insults, beginning with; "Ha. What a little piece of-"

Deeming it unimportant, the boy tuned out the guard's verbal abuse and checked for anything new in his cell. His eyes brightened when he spotted the tray laid out on the floor, food sparsely dotting the board.

The irate guard had realised by now that the brat was ignoring him and kicked the food off the tray, sneering while he did it. The boy showed absolutely no outward reaction to the vicious act.

"Tch," he muttered as he faced forward, away from the door of the cell, "why do I get babysitting duty…"

Behind his back, the raven-haired boy gave a grin that would've sent the Kages running. In a voice quieter than a mouse, he uttered, "now, it begins…"

◀ [**Mandatory Quest update!**] **_The Lost_**** \- Found a means of escape**

LB

Long after the guards had snoozed off, the boy quietly unsheathed an inconspicuous small metal spoon from his worn garments, swiped unnoticed from the meal tray that had been present before.

He tiptoed to the outer wall of the room, opposite of the dreary metal door, and carefully began to file the blunt edge of the spoon into a razor-sharp edge. This continued for a few nerve-wracking minutes as the whispers of shaved metal echoed in the small cell.

Finally satisfied with his handiwork, the boy grimaced as he swiped his thumb against the now-sharp spoon's edge. Droplets of blood leaked to the surface of his digit, numerous and unending in number.

◀ **You have lost 5HP!** (42/100)

◀ **You have been afflicted with the condition: Bleeding! (2 minutes)**

◀ **You have lost 1HP!** (41/100)

This was the timed, more risky and difficult part of the plan, as he started to smear a rough circle the size of his torso into the wall. Cautious to not let any more precious blood spill, he traced a character with his stinging digit to completion. He hissed in pain as a small stone ran down the length of his cut.

This didn't rouse the unconscious sentry as he finished up drawing the character 'sky', in the very centre of the circle. This kanji specifically had multiple meanings, a few of which meant 'empty,' or 'void.'

I'm sure you have figured out what his plan was by now.

He drew three more characters, all of them in a triangular formation surrounding the already drawn one, the first being the character for 'midnight', the second being 'absorb', and the last, his assumed deduction of 'chakra'.

◀ **Sealing check success: Seal** 1/10 – **Calligraphy**: 70/5!

◀ [**Three Point Void Seal**] [Blood] [Faulty] **created!**

◀ **Warning! The seal has a 56% chance of success!**

◀ [**Sealing**] **has gained a level!**

◀ [**Sealing**] **has gained a level!**

◀ [**Calligraphy**] **has gained a level!**

[**Sealing**] (Active): **Lvl.3 [71.39%]**

Boom, bang, crash! Time to wreak havoc on those who dare oppose a master of Sealing! Be warned though, little one, as power always comes at a price. CP cost dependent on seal

[**Calligraphy**] (Active): **Lvl.71 [12.25%]**

The art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush, with various uses beyond the paintbrush and canvas.

The odds weren't that great, but hey, what could you do? He assumed that his lacking sealing level was made up by his [**Calligraphy**] level. Had he not had such a high level, there was no doubt in his mind that the seal would just explode in a spectacular fashion and in doing so, kill him.

Though it seemed that not all his art skills had been lost in the transition between worlds, so he allowed himself a small smile at the message, and looked up through the shutters of his cell, at the oh-so-blue moon.

The wind rustled faintly as the clouds passed by, moonlight flickering uncertainly between the cottony wisps. The boy snapped out of his reverie as the moon neared the apex of its journey, and approached his makeshift seal, and placed one of his cuffed hands onto the character 'absorb'.

Luckily for the boy, these cuffs were simply expelling his chakra willy-nilly, so they had no say in what happened to his chakra _afterwards_. The leaking chakra that gave a light-blue shine to his hands was sucked towards the crimson seal, twisting and swirling as it was absorbed.

The bloody lines seemed to glow, almost ethereally as they burned brighter and brighter, the character for 'midnight' being the brightest.

◀ **Seal activation success!**

◀ **You have lost 80CP!** (22/102)

He scrambled back and watched in morbid fascination as the space itself seemed to stretch, warp and distort, before collapsing and vanishing, leaving a perfectly round hole, exactly where he had drawn it. Unfortunately, the disappearance of such a volume of air caused the surrounding air to abruptly realise that there was a sphere of complete nothingness that needed to be filled, and in doing so, caused a rather large clap of sound.

Someone would definitely hear that, especially the guard that was snoozing in front of his cell. His fears were affirmed when he heard a snort, then a tell-tale scrabbling to see if the prisoner was still in his cell.

Which he most certainly wasn't.

Time was a-ticking, he thought as he leapt through the hole, dashing at his fastest speed the moment his feet impacted the ground. With his pathetic, toddling four-year-old body, he needed every millisecond of head start he could get. Faint yells could be heard in the distance, but he ignored them, focusing on _running_.

In and out.

In and out.

Another notification popped up, along with the tinkle that told him a skill had levelled up. He dismissed both with barely a thought, the scenery slowly falling away; seconds stretching into minutes, minutes to hours as he fell into a state of pure concentration and awareness.

**You have discovered the skill **[**Hyperfocus**]**!**

[**Hyperfocus**] (Active): **Lvl.1 [3.12%]**

A state in which your brain registers and reacts to _everything_ faster! The higher the level, the longer you can stay in a hyperfocused state. There is a post-use backlash that causes [_slowness_] for half the time you were in a state of hyperfocus, taking into account the player's vitality. 10mins/per day

Useful, if not damning after activation, but he'd take whatever he got at the moment.

The path had spluttered to a halt long before he leaped over a few bramble-covered bushes to reveal a lively, running river, one that was far too wide to jump across. He gritted his teeth, briefly weighing the pros and cons of diving into a deadly cold river, then nodded resolutely and _jumped_.

This way they had an even less chance of finding him after this; no scent to be tracked and he could disappear anywhere downstream. Assuming of course he didn't just make a huge mistake and Geronimo'd to his doom.

He flailed to the surface of the water (sue him, he never learnt how to swim in his last life), stutteringly gulping air in before being forcefully submerged by the next sluice of water, rinse and repeating for minutes on end until he belatedly realised his arms had become alarmingly leaden.

* * *

**The Forest**

**+50% EXP gains to all skills while in this zone.**

**[x-x-x]**

"_**Nature is watching your back."**_

* * *

I would never be able to tell whether or not it was pure dumb luck or the blessings of the gods when my foot snagged into a thick mossy root looping through the hidden rapids.

I should've been more surprised that I hadn't been more cut up than a fish at a sushi restaurant.

That was how the nameless boy, exhausted and gasping like a fish out of water, reached his first sanctuary that would house him for many years to come.

* * *

*very useful tip for whoever is learning Japanese; a kanji's meaning can be guessed from the radicals that make it up. _While not always 100% accurate, you can still use the radicals to connect the meanings easier in your head! (i.e. The sanzui (__氵__) is very often used in kanji related to the idea of liquids or water, hence __海 __(sea/umi), __池 __(pond/ike), __湖 __(lake/mizuumi)._ I study Japanese so there ya have it.

Also, I am assuming blood contains chakra so that if a seal is drawn with blood it will still work regardless. Regular ink needs chakra to be imbued to be active etc.


End file.
